Katalysatoren des Leuna Werkes von 1960 – 1986: Von der Empirie zur Wissenschaft. Teil IV: Hydrospaltkatalysatoren

The historic development of technical catalysts at the Leuna chemical site is shown in a series of four articles. Although the research resulted in more than 300 patents, this paper does not intent to constitute a formula for success for the development of new catalysts. Instead, it aims at highlighting the remarkable and internationally recognized accomplishments of the Leuna R&D teams in the field of catalyst and process development from the 1950s until the late 1980s. In addition to the the economic value of hundreds of millions of Mark (the GDR currency), an significant result of these R&D activities was a much more elaborated concept on the properties and mode of action of technical catalysts. Part 4 looks at hydrocracking catalysts and the corresponding industrial processes developed in the former GDR.     

Katalysatoren des Leuna Werkes 1945 – 1988: Von der Empirie zur Wissenschaft. Teil III: Hydroraffinationskatalysatoren

Focus of the two preceding papers within this publication series were the development and manufacturing of technical catalysts at the Leuna Werke company from 1921 – 1945 (part I) and 1950 – 1991 (part II) for the reforming and isomerization catalysts. This article describes the genesis of the hydrofining group of catalysts as cornerstones of the GDR economy. 36 catalysts and 15 special aluminum oxides, X‐ray amorphous as well as crystalline aluminum silicates, were developed and brought into service for the Leuna hydrogenation and other refineries. During that time, a vast knowledge base was generated; new chemical processes were pioneered and equipped with tailor‐made catalysts developed in Leuna.